This invention relates to a buckle holder made of a reinforced belt strap for a seat belt in a motor vehicle by means of which the buckle is supported at a distance from its force introduction point close to the vehicle floor in an upwardly projecting manner, the reinforcing of the buckle holder being achieved by means of an additional stiffening which is fixed to the belt strap and which permits a bending of the buckle holder at least in a transverse direction.
By means of a buckle holder of this type, the buckle of a seat belt is normally supported above an anchoring point in the vehicle, for example, next to the seat, at a predetermined height. As a result, a simple introducing and locking of the buckle latch is possible also with only one hand. However, the buckle holder should not only project rigidly upwards but, when the seat belt is put on, should be bendable at least in the occupant's direction so that the belt can be placed closely against the occupant and there is no slack which could have a disadvantageous effect in a crash. In addition, the flexibility of the buckle holder in the case of stress also prevents a hindering of the vehicle occupant when entering or leaving the vehicle.
By means of a low-cost belt strap as a component of the buckle holder, which bendably bridges the required path and supports the tensile forces, a self-supporting buckle holder can be implemented only if the belt is reinforced by an additional material. Such a belt strap is known from German Patent Document DE 35 39 538 A1, in which the required stiffness is achieved by the pouring of a plastic mass between two belt straps. In this case, care must be taken with respect to the selection of the belt strap as well as with respect to the selection of the pourable plastic in order to ensure that the materials can intimately connect while the desired stiffness or flexibility must be secondary to this requirement. In addition, it is possible that the pourable plastic may break during the bending of the buckle holder or may be sheared off the belt strap.
Rigid buckle holders have the disadvantage that, in the proximity of the buckle, the belt cannot be placed closely against the occupant's pelvic region. This results in a relatively large slack of the belt which will displace the occupant far to the front in the case of a crash. Another disadvantage is the lack of yielding possibility should the occupant unintentionally sit on the buckle.
It is also known to construct the buckle holder of a wire rope around which a wire is wound in a spiral manner, However, such buckle holders are expensive and heavy, and it is difficult to connect the wire rope with the buckle so that the connection is resistant to tearing.
With respect to the general background, reference is made to the following documents: German Patent Documents DE 40 24 713 A1; DE 38 16 834 A1; and 30 07 645 C2 and British Patent Document GB 1 384 386 30.
It is an object of the invention to construct the buckle holder of the above-mentioned type at low cost and in a durably operable manner.
This object is achieved according to the invention by means of an arrangement wherein the additional stiffening includes at least one inherently stiff strip which is sewn to the belt strap by means of a plurality of seams which are situated relatively closely side-by-side.
A separate strip, which has the desired stiffness in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse directions together with the belt strap, can be adapted individually to the conditions of a vehicle at low cost with respect to the material and shape.
An intimate and durable connection of the strip with the belt strap can be produced in a simple fashion by means of a sewing-together, in which case, as a result of a relatively close course of the sewn seam, the belt strap and the strip introduce their bending resistance equally, and the seams themselves also contribute to an increase of the stiffness of the buckler holder.
In addition, a different stiffness in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse directions can easily be determined by means of the firmly sewed-on strip corresponding to its material or shape and/or can also easily be implemented by a variable arrangement of several strips on one another or above one another or by several layers of the belt straps.
For a simple and durable connection with the belt strap, a strip made of synthetic or natural materials may be used which, with respect to its bending characteristics, may be selected to correspond precisely to the requirements of the buckle holder and by means of which a simple connection can be established.
The strip can project into a receiving device or gap in the buckle and therefore support this relatively heavy part additionally against a titling movement. Likewise, by means of the strip, the buckle holder can be provided with an intended longitudinal bending as the result of which the buckle holder or the seat belt is disposed more closely on the occupant.
A belt strap protection part can be integrated in one piece into the form of the fastened strip on the end side, which belt protection part prevents a wear of the belt strip at a buckling point, whereby a usual, separately inserted belt strap protection part is saved.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.